Rotary braiding machines are well known in the art and have been used to, among other things, braid strands of materials such as steel, stainless steel, bronze, polyester, nylon, arramed, carbon fibers and similar materials around substrates such as hoses or cables and have been of particular used in forming pressure resistant hydraulic hose. In various configurations, these rotary braiding machines feature two sets of bobbin carriers rotating in opposite directions along the same axis and the strands paying out from one set of bobbin carriers are moved around one or more of the other set of bobbin carriers, to form a braid.
There are a number of significant drawbacks with the rotary braiding machines known in the art, particularly when used to braid metal strands. The rotary braiding machines known in the art are overly complex and complicated. This complexity makes it difficult to keep the machines properly adjusted so they can be operated at higher speeds while maintaining high quality braids. Moreover, many prior art designs make it difficult and/or impossible to make the small timing adjustments that are necessary for the machine to operate efficiently, particularly, at higher speeds.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a rotary braiding machine capable of braiding wire around a cable, hose, or other similar item that is simpler and faster than conventionally available rotary braiding systems.